Per Mertesacker is convinced he made the right move by joining Arsenal last summer, and says that the ankle he injured in February is now perfect ahead of Euro 2012.
Speaking to DFB.de the big German spoke about his first season at the club and said while it’s been challenging, it’s been a fantastic experience.
“I am very happy that I made the step into the Premier League,” he said. “The tempo is very high, the players are very strong. If you want to survive there, you have to always play at a high level. For me it was not easy at the beginning, but I improved. Unfortunately, I hurt myself when it was just getting really good. Still, I see my first season as positive and look forward to hopefully a great many years there.”
Although the virtues of the Vermscielny partnership are many, Arseblog News doesn’t think it’s unfair to suggest that adding a little Mert to the mix might have seen our defensive record improve, especially in the final few games of the season. His experience and reading of the game means he’s unlikely to be caught out up field the way the Belgian has been. Sure, that could be because he doesn’t go upfield much, but still.
As for settling into life in England, Mertesacker says learning and using the language has been important but he’s still got much to learn.
“After a year, I’m still missing a little something,” he said. “I try to speak as much English as possible. I declined from the start to have an interpreter and conducted all the interviews in English. I wanted to be forced to have to answer in English.
“The comprehension was relatively fast, the speech was a bit harder. And I think it will take two or three years, until it is really perfect. But a move abroad brings with it many challenges for us as a family and for me personally.”
Having suffered a serious ankle ligament injury at the Stadium of Light in February, his participation in the Euros was in doubt, but having undergone a training regime at Arsenal and in Germany, he says he’s feeling no ill effects at all and his fitness is good.
“For me it’s good. I feel absolutely nothing and can strain the feet fully. I can go up to the limit. Also in tackles I have no inhibitions. This was the case even in the last week in training with Arsenal. When I go into a tackle, I don’t think about the ankle at all.”
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Thank to SiuFay and Ibrahim for the heads up
B’cuz we got a Big Fucking German, a Big Fucking German, a Big Fucking Geeermaan! Soon two Big Fucking Germans!
Much approved!
i beg to differ my dear fellow, lukas podolski is more or less, a Medium Fucking German, toddleoo
Good luck to him for Euroes.. Btw does anyone know Spring sale is coming? Bid for the following items and highest bidder will get him. Should we have Garage sale or sale following players on E bay??? #1 Manuel Almunia: Former Arsenal #1 is #1 in bottling. He’d perfectly suit the need of Spurs. Listening u Spurs? One more former Arsenal player. Cut of price 0.5million #2 Andrey Arshavin: The lazy Russian has just won Russian league and being one of his biggest fan can’t see him going to any other English club I think he should head back home… Read more »
How many minutes of your life did you just waste writing this tosh?
I guess 5. But its Ok. Just in jolly good mood. Not much of workload today. And looking forward to future. The whole season didn’t think once but soon its over started looking to future.
Sorry i am just a bit Conservative.
“Just give them to Ajax”
Sorry bud, doesn’t exactly work like that.
After reading that, I really am glad we have a great manager with the ability to turn average/good players into great players (see Henry, Fabregas, Song, Koscielny, etc… as proof) and not some numpty who wants to get rid of most of our squad players and strip our squad even further to limit rotation, increase injury and watch us drop due to fatigue.
@CRF: Sorry mate, I am by profession an auditor so I don’t throw darts in the dark. You know this all are surplus. After + – everything you know there are two seasoned pro for every place and one up and coming youngster.
And every one I have mentioned are either washed up or want out cause they can’t get into team except for Eastmond whose career has gone downwards after scoring that OG against Shakhtar I guess and Bothelo. Just open your eyes and read yourself.
Punctuation not high on the list of priorities for Auditors I guess.
75million for Eastmond?! He’s a good player but not sure he’s worth that much, unless City want him……
Umm, this is arseblog. You should probably bookmark le-grove so this doesn’t happen again. Your welcome.
Hello mate, checked out le grove & have to say its average at best. Lot of boo boys seem to enjoy it though..
Arseblog = class
Mate one thing I am not a Boo boy. Nt at all. I rather don’t open pages or don’t comment. I don’t Boo. I like my team and I support whether we’re 17th or 3rd. It doesn’t matter. Loyalty. Btw I am a Big AW fan. Not just for style of football, but for his style of thinking. He’s the Economist running a Football club. And he puts the club in top 10 richest clubs. That is just awesome. But it is part of his job to see if books balance and if possible control cost. Most players I have… Read more »
“Would you rather:1- We came 3rd this year, are embarrassed the second we play a good team in the CL next year and win nothing for the next 7 years.2- We came 5th this year, got a new manager and won 5 trophies in the next 7 years including our first CL”
Decided to actually check out le grove for once. ugh, someone please hand me a rifle.
You know there’s something wrong with Le Grove, Arsenal Truth (Heh!) and ANR by Myles Palmer when some Spuds think twice about reading their vitriol. Limited intelligence and all that but I feel they have more of a brain than the writers on the three sites I’ve mentioned. No doubt there are countless others, I wish I had the time to go check out every bitter gooner blog just to rub it in that the world isn’t ending, maybe one of these days I’ll pick all the right numbers and I can go troll those sites in my free time.… Read more »
Real life isn’t like football manager mate.
Sorry to disappoint but I don’t play Football manager. I usually don’t get so much free time and even if I do I rather read but just as I mentioned above I am in jolly good mood. So interacting with you guys. You know the weird part is instead of anyone putting forward a valid argument about why some one should not be shipped out or what value it adds to team, every one is telling me either its not LG or I should play less football manager or I am numpty. You know if you don’t agree with some… Read more »
I clearly stated my reasons why you don’t just get rid of players and replace them with 1 or 2 others.
The invincibles were built on a good set of squad players that could be put into our first team and not cause too much disruption. Yes these squad players aren’t as good as Wiltord, Kanu, Fabregas, van Bronckhorst, Clichy, Parlour, etc… but we still need them for rotation, injuries, fatigue, etc…
@CRF Mate, tell me if you sell those players then won’t you have good squad players? I’d go with what squad looks like.. GK: The biggest “Pole”, New GK comes in (my pref Craig Gordon (Sunderland)), Martinez, Manone (sold are Almunia, Fabianski) RB: Sagna, CJ, Yenaaris(young and upcoming) CB: Koz, TV, PM, DJ, Bartley(I still don’t feel confident about him. He played many game as DM for rangers not CB), Miquel(he has to go out on loan. He’s my favorite to step up) and new buy. Most fans want it to be Jan. Squid has to go. LB: Gibbs, Santos.… Read more »
Ahh so you wish to start a new save on football manager? Im sure you’ll do well, and im sure Ajax will be bending over backwards to take our players. You sir, have a real managing brain, you could go pro!
This is the greatest work of comedy I’ve read today at least.
How have you valued Eastmond at £7.5m? That’s MENTAL.
SACKER
I would rather have a kos-mert partnership although each player has its merits…but am curious as to why Wenger doesn’t experiment with verminator as a DM when we had enough cover…but my thoughts as usual.
this blog today proves Wenger is wright,lol
heblogswhenhewantsto.wordpress.com/
If aw wanted to try it he would have to try it in a cup game against a much worse team
Can’t wait to see BFG in an Arsenal shirt again!! 😀
he is big.
he is fabulous.
he is a gooner.
he is our very own BFG.
Big Fucking Gooner! 😀 what a fucking spectacular monday this has been!
This man is class and has been an easy target for the press but after a dodgy start, that many if not most players have in settling in, the bfg will prove his worth and honestly beleive had we had him in the run in then maybe our defence would not have looked so vulnerable as it did at times.
He will come good I’m totally convinced of that.
He’s not class, he’s slow and cumbersome. He wasn’t even Wenger’s first choice signing – he panicked and bought the clumsy oaf after that shit start to the season. Mertesacker will flop, and Wenger won’t teach him anything new. Your optimism will make little difference either way.
I’m doubting your cynicism will do the power of good either.
haha, you’re probably right there
So at 27 and having played for Germany 79 times , he’s crap? Considering the other German defenders available, he’s managed to keep some great players out of his position and our defence was more solid with him in it. I think you sir are a moron, and going by your other posts on other news stories, have little to no footballing knowledge at best most of the time.
He IS a piece of shit. He’s not worth anything, that slow bastard.
I mean, he is SO useless, so horrible and unskilled that he keeps getting called up for Germany. Pathetic, eh?
No criticism of Wenger after another failed season? I remember last season Arseblog was questioning the future of the manager after the usual nosedive in March.
Having seen this website commercialise itself in the last 12 months, it’s now pretty obvious that Arseblog is in the back pocket of AFC. It’s sad how money informs opinions – yours are bland and lack any insight.
What are you babbling about? How did you gain all that just from an interview Mertesacker gave to a german website about his time at Arsenal and his injury?
Try thinking out of the box. Obviously you’re one of the peasants this blog and AFC has been able to manipulate.
It’s a conspiracy. Agents of the Arsenal PR machine are among us!
Stick to the moon landings –
I’d Rather be a Wenger sycophant
Than a Glenn Hoddle, erm David Pleat, no i mean Jacques Santini oops, Martin Jol Sorry, Juande Ramos, dam i definitely mean Harry Redknapp Sycophant
This is a news article about Per Mertesacker.
Interesting. You could easily respond to my post but prefer to avoid the issue like you always do. Confirms my theory. This was a great website, now it’s a waste of space pandering to a small army of pro-Wenger sycophants.
But this is the news site, it’s only news articles, match reports stats etc. There would be no analysis of Wenger in a story about Per Mertesacker.
The main blog is at http://arseblog.com and that deals with the ‘issues’.
You mean I should write exactly the same thing on another part of the site to get the response you’re not giving me on this part of the site? How about you stop avoiding the issue and be a little more flexible?
You said “No criticism of Wenger after another failed season?”
If you read the main blog you’ll know I’ve been critical of the manager. I’ve tried to be balanced about it, perhaps it’s not rabid enough for your taste. If that’s the case, there are plenty of other blogs out there that might suit you better.
As for your other ludicrous assertion I wouldn’t even dignify that with a response, and would just say that I have been polite to you when you’ve not displayed much in the way of manners at all.
I can’t believe you have the nerve to claim to be a fan of the team and not constantly slag off the manager for not pulling £589m out of his arsehole, buying every footballer on the planet ever and winning every league and cup forever. Plastic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRMBxnxWiNQ&feature=related
How has a post about Per Metesacker attracted so many fucking window lickers?
Wait, are you actually serious?
If you are, I suggest you try applying for a job with the Mail, I’ve heard they’re always looking for a couple of nutters— oops, ‘experts’ to work for them.
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So he does not go forward much? Brilliant after shipping in nearly 50 goals this season I would be quite happy with a defender that actually positions himself in the right half of the field for most of the match! It’s been embarassing seeing how many times our defenders have been caught out of position recently. (I would probbaly exclude The Kos from that who has mostly been very good this season)
Failed season? I see your point to a limit but both of the clubs above us spent 60 + million last summer, and we finished above plenty that spent a lot more than us.
Third. An improvement on last year, some exciting youngsters and a lot more experience in the squad. Hardly abject failure is it. Would u rather be in liverpools position ? Below their arch-rivals and no European football, but hey, at least they got some silverware!
Adma, it’s my opinion that’s all and your right my optimism will not make the slightest bit of difference but reckon il feel happier with my outloook on things than yours mate.
You’re entitled to your opinion. But Mertresacker’s not been great this season, so to say he’s “class” is a bit silly really. Considering how Arsenal defenders very rarely improve under Wenger, I’m not sure where this confidence comes from that Mertesacker will either – it’s far more likely that he will go backwards than forwards – just like Vermaelen is.
“Considering how Arsenal defenders very rarely improve under Wenger” oh was it your dad who worked on koscielny,toure, cambdel, sagna,lauren, etc
I can’t wait for per to be back to partner Kos in defence next season
as much as i love vermaelen, he’s really not as good in the centre of the defence.
better suited to a left back role, he’s spell there coincided with the teams decent form
in summary
BAC – KOS – PER – VERM
Absolutely our best back 4 with the current stock of players i want to see us with two different sets of defenders so that we can have full backs wing backs tall centre backs and smaller pacy centre backs. we need the complete mixed bag.
full backs – sagna & vermaelen
tall centre backs mertesacker vertonghen bartley djourou miquel
shorter pacy centre backs koscielny vermaelen
wing backs van der weil & gibbs
Makes me laugh that people still question Per… 27 and has 79 caps for Germany (currently ranked 2nd in Fifa world rankings)
So why does he play like a cunt then?
Why do you act like one?
ZING!!!
Agreed. Called up in 2004 at the age of 20 and has basically been first choice CB since then (even wit injured he’s come back and earned his place back). Personally, I think I’m going to trust Wenger and Low’s judgement over other fans
I know this might be the wrong forum to post this, seeing as the more intelligent and well informed and tactically astute Arsenal fans are getting on the BFGs’ case, but I’m watching the Sp*rs v Fulham game, and the atmosphere at WHL is great. You’d swear they were at a fucking wake, rather than a game against a London rival, which they are winning. Personally, I really liked Sheyi Adebayor, and even when he signed for Man Shitty, I still liked him. All until he purposely stamped on my captain RvPs face, and ran the length of the pitch… Read more »
Love the BFG and wish him well at Euros cant wait to see him in acton again next year. Always great to hear players talk about the club lke he does.
In recent weeks I’ve noticed a few so-called Arsenal fans (Fucking Assholes Not Supporters) call some of our team-members CUNTS. Now, I agree there are some in our current squad who may be surplus to requirements and maybe not deserving of wearing the shirt. But, ladies and gentlemen, I beg to differ that they are cunts. An Arsenal player, as long as he remains an Arsenal player (and wearing the shirt) should never be described as a cunt…. for any reason. We simply DO NOT employ cunts!!! An Arsenal player can only become a cunt if, or when he leaves… Read more »
There is only one true cunt in the premiership…. Joey Barton. The rest are trainee cunts. Granted, some are more gifted than others, Na$ri, Cashley, John Terry, etc. But no one has the overall cuntfactor like Joey Barton.
Forget his crapness at football, and the thuggery he displays both on and off the pitch, just look at some of his Tweets! Grade A Cunt.
Per is a good player, and we have couple of other good defenders at the squad BUT… our defence was bad this season. Imagine how Rvp, Rosicky and Walcott felt after let’s say scoring two great goals and then shortly afterwords watching our defence (midfield also guilty) sliping into mistakes and panic. Imagine how Park felt. 🙂 Vermaelen was also strange this 2nd part of the season. Gibbs and Santos were okej but not very good, Djourou also. Sagna and Kos were good but what they can do when Song and Ramsey didn t care about man to man defending… Read more »
I hope Per starts along with LK6 next season.